The Old Crowd's Week of Great Loss
by janeeyrefreak
Summary: Each member of Dumbledore's 'Old Crowd' went through drastically different experiences the week Lily and James were killed. This story will be made up of several short stories- one for each character's POV. They are connected with my series of fanfiction
1. A Rough Week for Remus

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters that appear in those books. They are the wonderful creations of J.K. Rowling.  
  
Note: This short story is the first of seven that will be companions to my series of fanfics about the "Old Crowd's" Hogwarts years. It contains spoilers for my other series (which is currently in Year 2). You can find Remus Lupin and the Werewolf Within (Year 1) and the in-progress Peter Pettigrew Year 2 at http://boards.harrypotter.warnerbros.com/web/hpus/messages.jsp?topic=7686054 &board=Book&so=a Please read, review and most importantly, enjoy!  
  
~A Rough Week for Remus~  
  
The end of October was nearing and Remus Lupin was quite nervous. He was about to go out for dinner with a Miss Arabella Figg. That in itself was not nerve wracking; the two of them had been a couple for a few years now. What was making the young man extremely anxious that particular day was that he was planning to ask Arabella to marry him. He spent an extraordinarily long time looking at his reflection in the mirror, trying to get everything just right. Finally, he gave up and let his light brown hair be, in spite of the gray hairs beginning to show.  
  
He showed up at Arabella's doorstep right on time and knocked. She opened the door and Remus stood staring at her. She looked so amazing; her long dark brown hair was flowing down her shoulders and the red dress she had on emphasized just the right parts of her body. For a moment, Remus was utterly speechless, but he recovered enough to stammer, "You, you look, v-v- very nice tonight."  
  
"Thanks, Remus," she replied with a laugh. "That suit looks good on you, too."  
  
Remus blushed, and quickly offered her his arm. "I thought we could walk," he explained.  
  
Arabella took his arm happily.  
  
As soon as the couple's dinner dishes had disappeared, Remus knew it was time. Reaching into his pocket, he got down on one knee in front of the woman he loved.  
  
"Will you marry me?" he asked simply, holding out a beautiful diamond ring.  
  
Arabella's brown eyes sparkled with tears of happiness. "Yes, Remus, I will."  
  
He placed the ring on her finger and felt as if he were walking on air. He put a hand on her cheek, then pulled her close in a soft kiss. When they broke apart, they were both smiling widely.  
  
Dessert arrived and the happily affianced couple fed each other chocolate cake, Arabella's ring sparkling merrily each time she moved her hand. Remus couldn't imagine being more happy, and he looked forward to the day that he could bring Arabella home as his wife and they could begin their lives together.  
  
For awhile, Remus even forgot the danger his friends were in, for unfortunately, trouble was brewing, in the form of the Dark Wizard Voldemort and about a week into Remus and Arabella's engagement, Remus was awoken from a deep sleep by a familiar voice.  
  
"Mr. Lupin?" it called gently.  
  
Remus sat up groggily. He realized that the voice belonged to Hogwarts' headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore?" he asked, confused.  
  
"Albus," the old wizard answered. "If you are to be working with me, you must call me Albus. But there is really no time for that now. We must get over to Miss Figg's house, for there is a matter of grave importance that must be discussed."  
  
Remus immediately jumped out of bed, asking only, "Where to?" before disapparating away. Why Arabella's house? he wondered, worried, as he appeared in her living room. Dumbledore was beside him an instant later.  
  
Asking his question with his eyes, Remus glanced at Dumbledore, who shook his head. "No, Remus, Arabella is fine."  
  
Curious, but still apprehensive, the young man followed the older wizard to Arabella's bedroom, where Dumbledore motioned to Remus to wake her. Gently, Remus shook her beautiful shoulder and whispered, "Arabella, please wake up."  
  
She stirred, then her eyes fluttered open. Seeing Remus, she looked surprised, but not entirely unhappy. She smiled and was about to speak when the look on his face stopped her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked nervously.  
  
Remus didn't answer, only looked hopelessly at Dumbledore.  
  
"I have some very serious news that I am afraid I must share," he began. Remus sat down on the bed, holding Arabella's hand.  
  
"Voldemort has found and killed Lily and James."  
  
"What?" Remus asked, sincerely wishing he had heard wrong. Lily and James Potter couldn't be dead; he couldn't believe that was true.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Their house has been destroyed and their bodies found. It happened only an hour ago."  
  
Remus sat, stunned by shock and grief as tears streamed silently down Arabella's face. "What about little Harry?" she asked, looking terrified to hear the answer.  
  
"That," Dumbledore answered with a hint of triumph in his eyes, "is the most mind boggling part. Harry is fine, quite untouched, actually. The spell Voldemort attempted to use on him apparently backfired and he got the brunt of it. We don't know where he's gone, but Harry is safe with Hagrid now."  
  
"He couldn't be safer," Remus replied, trying to smile, but failing. After a moment of silence, he added, "Their secret was hidden, though. Only Sirius knew where they were. Only Sirius." He trailed off, the implications of this statement hitting him and his tears overcoming him. "How could he betray them like this? How could he?" he exclaimed through a throat tightened by tears. Arabella embraced him, rubbing his back as his body shook with sobs.  
  
"I must ask for your help, though," Dumbledore reminded the couple sternly after a minute.  
  
"Anything we can do to help, sir," Arabella said bravely.  
  
Remus looked up and echoed, "Anything." His eyes were filled with a grim determination.  
  
"Harry will be taken to Lily's sister's house- Harry's Muggle aunt- until he comes to Hogwarts. I will have several spells in place that will keep him safe from Voldemort there, but I would still like to have one of us nearby always. I am sure Voldemort will be back once he recovers from tonight's events. There is just no telling how long that will be." Dumbledore looked meaningfully at Arabella. "I would like you to go, my dear, and live near Harry and keep an eye on him."  
  
"Of course," Arabella answered immediately.  
  
"When do you want us ready to go?" Remus asked, wanting to be doing something to help.  
  
Sadly, Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Mr. Lupin, just Miss Figg. I have a house for her to move into that is two streets from the Dursley's. I would like to see you moved in by tomorrow when Harry arrives, Miss Figg."  
  
"But-" Remus started, "I-I want to go too! Harry is very important to me and so is Arabella! The two of us could take care of Voldemort, should he choose to call." He hoped his face looked as determined and defiant as he felt.  
  
Arabella looked pleadingly at Dumbledore for a moment, but when his face remained set, she turned back to Remus.  
  
"Remus, you know I love you. You also know I have to do this. For Lily and James, and Harry, too." She looked into his eyes, pleading with him to understand. "You are much more closely connected with the Potters, Remus. Your presence may attract attention; you may be too close to the situation to do the right thing. Or maybe Dumbledore just needs your help somewhere else."  
  
Remus nodded silently, unable to stop his tears. He understood, but why did he have to lose some of his best friends and his fiancee in one night? "You're right, Arabella," he choked. "You have to do this. When Voldemort is gone for good and Harry has nothing left to fear, we will be together again. Until then, we must do our part to make sure the unspeakable monster is eradicated."  
  
Arabella didn't say a word, just kissed Remus full on the mouth. He responded instantly, pulling her closer, feeling their tongues collide and their tears mix together. A slight cough from Dumbledore reminded them of his presence and they reluctantly pulled apart.  
  
"I have other things I must do before Harry arrives on Privet Drive," Dumbledore said. "I must thank you for your cooperation and excuse myself." With that, he disapparated, and Remus and Arabella were alone on her bed.  
  
"Well," Arabella began, straining to keep her voice cheerful. "We certainly have a lot to do." She looked uncertainly at Remus. "That is, if you are willing to help me get ready."  
  
"Look," Remus said, looking at Arabella with grey eyes full of a strange mixture of grief, love and determination. "I don't like the idea of us being apart, but I support you 100 percent. It will be difficult, but we must do it. I am not going to waste our last hours together sulking at home. We had best get packing."  
  
Nodding, Arabella rose from the bed and began looking about her room. "What is the best way to do this?" she thought aloud.  
  
"You'll be going to a Muggle neighborhood," Remus reminded her patiently. "You need to put all of your things in boxes and hire a truck to take it to your new house."  
  
"Oh, yes," Arabella smiled. "Thank goodness you're here."  
  
They spent the rest of the night and most of the day packing the souvenirs of Arabella's twenty some years of wizarding life. Many things they sent over to Remus' house, being too 'wizarding' to go unnoticed in a Muggle home. As the tired couple began to think a lot about dinner, Albus Dumbledore appeared in the room.  
  
He nodded, tiredly. "I am glad to see you have packed in the Muggle fashion," he said without preamble. "Are you almost ready to go?"  
  
"I am ready, sir," Arabella responded.  
  
"I will give you a few minutes to say goodbye, but as soon as the moving truck arrives, you need to have changed into Muggle clothing and taken a sip of this Aging Potion. Age will be your disguise from evil and your camouflage in the neighborhood. If you take a drink every day, you will remain old in appearance without many lasting effects when this terrible ordeal is over." He handed her a vial. "I trust you can remember the ingredients for an Aging Potion so you can make more?"  
  
Arabella nodded silently.  
  
As Dumbledore gave her a firm handshake and a grim good luck, Arabella suddenly asked, "Is it all right if I take Tibbles?"  
  
The kind headmaster looked from Arabella to the cat that sat beside her and back. The Arabella he saw was Arabella at 13, sitting in his office, looking innocent and pure. He didn't even know what he was sending her into. He shook his head, dismissing the thought and returning Arabella to her grown woman self. Realizing she had interpreted this as a no, he quickly spoke up. "Yes, you may take Tibbles with you. I see no harm in that." He allowed himself one kind, and somewhat sad, smile before disapparating to her new house ahead of her.  
  
Remus looked into Arabella's big eyes and was surprised by the tears welling there. She had seemed so strong earlier and he didn't want to see her cry. "Don't cry," he said firmly. "You have to have all of your strength for this adventure."  
  
He smiled and was happy to see her smile back. There were no words for that moment, no way to express how much he loved her, how much he'd miss her, how worried he was for her safety. There were no words, but there was an embrace. Holding her in his arms, he knew she understood what he wanted to say.  
  
"The truck will be here any moment," Arabella said moving an arm's length from Remus. "I want you to take care of yourself. I love you so much."  
  
"I love you, too," Remus replied, his heart about to burst. "I know you'll keep Harry safe, but I want you to keep yourself safe as well."  
  
A horn honked outside, stopping Arabella from what she was about to say. She only nodded, took a sip of Aging Potion and removed her robe to reveal a particularly ugly Muggle housedress. Remus watched as the potion took affect and Arabella aged fifty years right before his eyes. Looking meaningfully at him, she turned to open the door and let the movers in. Remus recognized his cue and with one last look, apparated back to his own house.  
  
He fell onto his bed and began to sob uncontrollably. All of the emotions the last 24 hours had brought him flowed out and he wept into his pillow until at last he fell asleep. But it was not a restful sleep, for faces taunted him in his dreams. Lily and James lay dead while baby Harry cried next to them. Then it was Sirius, laughing, just laughing. And Arabella kept aging and aging. When he woke up, he felt more alone than he had ever felt before.  
  
Then, a thought struck him. "Peter!" he cried aloud. For certainly the fourth Marauder would be feeling just as alone as Remus, and dealing with the grief of James' death and Sirius' betrayal. Not wasting another moment, he apparated to Peter's house and knocked on the door. A moment went by, with no answer, and Remus began to feel that something was amiss. He tried the door, and finding it locked, quickly used his wand to unlock it. He went in, and called, "Peter?"  
  
He heard a sound in the back of the house, and rushed to see what it was. "Peter?" he cried, entering the room. But it was not his old friend who sat there, but Peter's mother and a Ministry witch.  
  
"Where is he?" Remus asked, panicking.  
  
The Ministry witch kindly took his arm and led him into the next room. "I'm sorry to be the one that has to tell you this, but Peter was killed yesterday."  
  
"What?" Remus felt utterly deflated. Who did he have left now?  
  
"He had apparently tracked down Sirius Black and accused him of betraying the Potters. Black killed Peter and a dozen Muggles with one curse," the witch said sadly. "I came to tell Mrs. Pettigrew that Peter has been posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, and to bring her what they found of Peter on the scene." She indicated a small box that Mrs. Pettigrew held clutched in her hands.  
  
Remus felt dizzy and managed to say, "I think I need to sit down," before he collapsed on the floor.  
  
He regained consciousness in his own bed and wondered vaguely how he got there. The last thing he remembered was telling the Ministry witch that he needed to sit down. He tried to sit up, but was prevented by a gentle pressure on his shoulder, which turned out to be Albus Dumbledore's hand. His face was smiling at Remus.  
  
"I understand the last few days have been quite a shock for you," the kindly wizard began.  
  
"Have they got him?" Remus interrupted.  
  
Dumbledore looked confused. "Who?"  
  
"Black," Remus spat, as if it were a dirty word.  
  
"Ah," Dumbledore said. "Sirius Black. Yes, the Ministry got a hold of him right after Peter's murder. I believe they are planning on sending him straight to Azkaban."  
  
"It's all his fault," Remus responded bitterly. "I'm all alone and it is all his fault."  
  
"Now, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore said sternly, "Pointing blame doesn't really do any good. But," he said thoughtfully, "I suppose I should follow my own advice, as I put a share of the blame on myself. I knew that someone close to the Potters was leaking information to Voldemort, and I offered to be their secret keeper. If only I had insisted on it, this catastrophe may have been avoided all together." He looked very sad and old to Remus, much older than he had when Remus had graduated from Hogwarts a few short years ago. Shaking his graying head wearily, Dumbledore seemed to shake his sadness and he spoke again briskly.  
  
"But we must not dwell on the subject. I will need you ready for work by tomorrow, Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore stated.  
  
Remus nodded weakly. "I'll be ready, sir. I mean Albus." He smiled half- heartedly.  
  
"You know how sorry I am that I cannot offer you any pay for this work," Albus continued, looking very sorry indeed. "But having your services available to me at any hour will surely save many from suffering and death. You were one of the brightest Defense Against the Dark Arts students Hogwarts has ever seen." He waited until Remus nodded again before finishing.  
  
"I am afraid I have to be going, the Minister of Magic has requested my help in this situation and I have already kept him waiting," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "You'll be fine, Remus. You're quite strong, you know." With that, he apparated off, and left Remus alone again.  
  
But Remus didn't feel so alone inside. He felt better, stronger, to know he would soon be helping Dumbledore to protect their world, and to know that his mentor had so much faith in him. "I will be ok," Remus muttered. "I will." His thoughts turned to Arabella, but instead of feeling sad, he was filled with infinite pride to be sharing such a noble mission with the person he loved more than anyone else.  
  
"We'll be fine!" he shouted defiantly, though no one was around to hear him. 


	2. Peter's Painful Week, Or was it?

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters from that wonderful series. They are the delightful creations of the genius J.K. Rowling, who is giving us book 5 on June 21!  
  
Note: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed, especially with suggestions for me. I am using * to indicate italics, since they didn't show up in Chapter 1. This chapter is Peter's story. You may wonder why I included Peter in the "Old Crowd." Obviously he isn't still part of this exclusive club, but at the time of Lily and James' deaths I think he may have been considered their ally. At any rate, it is interesting to look at things from his point of view, no matter how deranged that POV may be.  
  
~Peter's Painful Week (Or was it?)~  
  
Peter Pettigrew struggled to hide the feeling of triumph he had been almost overwhelmed with since the day before. He knew he couldn't let this emotion show at all, for Lily and James were clever wizards. At any sign that Peter was untrustworthy could stop the little wretch from performing the Fidelius Charm that would make him the keeper of their most precious secret, the whereabouts of their young son, Harry.  
  
He tried to put on a face that showed his bravery, but he let his hands tremble a bit. He knew it was from anxiety, but Lily and James would merely think him nervous, so he allowed them to shake.  
  
"Are you ready, Peter?" Lily asked gently.  
  
Peter nodded, looking into her sad eyes.  
  
"I can't tell you how grateful James and I are that you would do this for us," she continued, giving Peter a hug. He embraced her back, but he got a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. When she pulled back, he avoided her eyes.  
  
James grasped Peter's hand in a firm handshake. "Thank you, for giving up your normal life for us, and for Harry."  
  
Peter nodded again, this time, casting a glance to Harry's sleeping form lying only a few feet away. "You're quite welcome you know," he said briskly. "Anything for the two of you. Shall we get on with it?"  
  
Lily smiled. "Yes, we mustn't waste time." She briefly explained to Peter how the extremely advanced charm worked, but it was too complicated for him to follow. He knew all he needed to know: that once Lily (always excellent at charm work) performed the spell, her secret would be kept within him. The Potters would be impossible to find unless he chose to divulge the information. Then it would be possible for anyone to track them down. He nodded, pretending to understand her technical explanation, and when she finished, she told him to stand perfectly still while she performed the spell.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly and exercised all of his self-control to stay still. While he waited anxiously, James backed away and Lily began muttering and pointed her wand at Peter. A flash of white light shone brightly, even through his firmly closed eyelids. Then he felt something like the weight of a brick settle in his midsection.  
  
Slowly, he opened his eyes. "It worked," Lily said, her emerald eyes flashing with defiance. "We'll be safe now."  
  
James picked up the sleeping Harry, took his wife's hand, and said, "We'll be off now, Wormtail. You had better get to your hideout, too. Stay safe, my friend." With these words, the entire family apparated away. Peter stood laughing madly before he apparated away as well.  
  
The next day, Peter knelt before his master, smiling more broadly than he ever had in his entire, miserable life. His master, cloaked in darkness, did not comment on this phenomenon, but asked, "Any news about the Potters, Wormtail?"  
  
"Yes, master," Peter said, looking up into the red eyes of his lord. "They have had the Fidelius Charm performed."  
  
"Your task then, Wormtail, is still to find their Secret-Keeper and deliver him to me!"  
  
"My lord, the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper," he blurted out. He looked triumphantly at the Dark Lord, whose evil grin slowly grew so that, grotesquely, it seemed to take over his face.  
  
"Well, well," the evil grin said, rubbing its hands together. "That is an interesting development. I see they are not sure whom to trust anymore. That is excellent." He turned his back on Peter, his cloak trailing behind. Peter scurried after his master, still on his knees.  
  
"I must begin making plans for our attack, Wormtail, now that I know I will have no trouble finding their location. You must return to wherever they are keeping you safe and not arouse any suspicion. I will call you in the usual way when I am ready," the master said, keeping his back to Peter.  
  
Peter unconsciously fingered the mark on his arm, disappointed. He had been so proud to deliver the Potters to his master, but his master had been more interested in the information than that Peter had gotten it for him. He tried, as he apparated back to his safe house, to console himself that with this new information came a lot of plans that had to be made and there wasn't time for praise. By the time he was settling in for bed, he had convinced himself that this was the case and that after baby Harry's demise, Peter Pettigrew would be a name all other Death Eaters feared and admired. Soon, he fell asleep and dreamed of the glory that would be his.  
  
During the next week, Peter was extremely anxious. He didn't know how long he could keep up appearances while he waited for the Dark Lord to hatch a plan and Sirius had indicated that he would be checking in on him about a week after he had been made the Secret-Keeper. His anxiety wasn't helped by the fact that he couldn't go out into the wizarding world. His friends thought he was hiding from Voldemort, but he was really hiding from them. He knew he wouldn't see Lily and James anywhere, (*I may not ever see them again*, he thought with a pang), but if Sirius saw any suspicious behavior, the whole plan could be ruined. So as Peter paced impatiently waiting for action, he hoped the Dark Lord had almost completed the plan.  
  
It was the eighth day after the charm had been performed that Peter felt the Dark Mark on his arm burn. He cursed the timing, because of Sirius' impending visit, but there was nothing to be done but heed the Dark Lord's call and hope that Sirius would be delayed until the deed was done, so Peter apparated out of his house.  
  
"Good to see you, Wormtail," the Dark Lord smirked.  
  
Peter nodded. "Y-you, t-too, Master."  
  
"I am now ready to find the Potters and destroy the little boy they hold so dear. All I need from you is their present location, devoted Secret- Keeper." The robed figure began to laugh in a very high pitched, thin voice. Peter knew he was supposed to share in his master's mirth, so he forced himself to chuckle. He didn't know why all of a sudden he wasn't feeling so great.  
  
The Dark Lord stopped laughing and looked closely at Peter. Feeling very uncomfortable, he managed to say, "They're in Godric's Hollow. Lily, James and baby Harry." He struggled to look straight into his master's fiery red eyes, which glowed with an anticipation Peter had not seen in the year that he had been serving his master.  
  
"Good. I will be off then, Wormtail. I want you to wait here until I return." Without another word, the cloaked figure disappeared and left Peter alone in the near dark. He tried to sleep, but he kept reliving the events leading up to him becoming James and Lily's Secret-Keeper.  
  
*Peter knelt in front of the Dark Lord he served. "The P-Potters have told me they are going into hiding, but they have n-not told me who their Secret- Keeper will be."  
  
"Do you think they suspect you Wormtail?" his master mused.  
  
Shaking his head vigorously, Peter answered, "No, master, I have b-been very careful. A-and I know they just want to keep Harry as safe as p- possible."  
  
A shrill laugh emitted from under the Dark Lord's hood. "Have you been careful, Wormtail? I don't doubt you have done your best, but.I think you are right, that the Potters are just out to protect their son the best they can. Too bad for them it will not be good enough. You will find their Secret-Keeper and bring him to me, Wormtail."  
  
"Yes, master," Peter said, bowing his head to the ground. "I suspect it will be S-Sirius Black, but I will f-find out, my lord."  
  
"I am not interested in suspicions, Wormtail. Go now, and do not return until the Fidelius Charm has been performed."  
  
A few hours later, there was a knock at Peter's door. Rubbing his eyes, he rose to answer it, but before he could get there, Sirius had burst in, his long hair a mess. "What's up, Padfoot?" Peter yawned.  
  
"We need your help," Sirius said, grabbing Peter's shoulder. "Lily, James, Harry and I."  
  
Concerned, Peter nodded. "Sure, anything you guys need. But sit down before you collapse, Padfoot."  
  
Sirius shook his head. "I can't, I have to get back. But I need to ask you a favor." He looked into Peter's watery blue eyes. "Will you be James and Lily's Secret-Keeper?"  
  
For a moment Peter was speechless. This was too good to be true, but he knew he had to play the part of concerned and devoted friend, so quickly he recovered and said, "Of course, Sirius, you know I'd be glad to. F-Forgive my surprise, but I assumed you would be their Secret-Keeper."  
  
"And I was going to be, until I thought about how easy it would be for Voldemort"- Peter shuddered-"to figure it out as well. So I convinced the others that they should use you. You are a friend who is just as devoted and loyal as I, but with a bit less risk," Sirius replied honestly. "So you'll do it?"  
  
Peter smiled at his old friend. "Padfoot, you know I am honored by this request. J-Just tell me when and where to be for the performance of the spell and I'll be there."  
  
Sirius, visibly relieved, answered, "Tomorrow, at this time, you'll receive an owl directing you where to go." He smiled. "Thank you, Wormtail, you are.the best friend a man can have." Giving Peter a quick embrace, he saluted and disappeared.*  
  
From that moment on, Peter had known he held the key to the Potters' downfall and his master's world domination. As he waited sleeplessly for the Dark Lord's return, he tried to speculate the reason that his master desired Harry Potter's death. The boy was, after all, barely a year old, but of course Peter hadn't dared to question the Dark Lord's motive. James and Lily Potter were strong wizards, nobody could deny that, especially Peter, who they had gotten through Hogwarts, but could the good genes Harry had gotten be the sole reason for his upcoming demise? Even Peter doubted that. But what could it be? As the hours went by, he didn't find an answer, but sleep found him.  
  
When Peter opened his eyes, he could sense that it was morning, even though no light penetrated the Dark Lord's hideout. Ashamed to be caught asleep, he sat up quickly, but to his surprise no one else was there. In fact, it looked like his master had not yet returned.  
  
*How could this be?* Peter thought in a panic. *Where is my master? Surely it wouldn't take all night to kill a baby!*  
  
Peter didn't know what to do: whether it would be better to wait, as he had been ordered, or to go and look for his master and perhaps save him from danger. He puzzled about this dilemma for another half an hour when he heard a screech from above him and looked up, only to have a newspaper hit him square in the face. He reached into his pocket for a knut to give the bird, but it was gone. Shrugging at the owl's odd behavior, he opened the paper to see what the day's headline was. Gasping for air, he dropped *The Daily Prophet* as if it were burning his hands. He stood for a long while, staring at the headline that certainly spelled his doom.  
  
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Defeated by Baby Potter: His parents are killed, but the boy lives!"  
  
Within an hour, Peter had read the entire article several times and realized that he was going to be facing the anger of Sirius for betraying Lily and James and the anger of the other death eaters for sending their master into what had turned out to be his downfall. The way he saw it, he had only one option left if he wanted to get out of the situation alive. Without further delay, he had used dark magic to determine Sirius' present position and was on his way there.  
  
Sirius Black was walking down a street in Muggle London. From a bit of a distance, Peter watched him stalk down the road, his unkempt hair flaring behind, tears streaming down his face and a crazy look in his eyes. When Sirius was almost upon him, Peter chose to reveal himself.  
  
"I've been looking for you, Sirius!" he announced loudly.  
  
Sirius' eyes burned with hatred. "You- you-." He was too mad to speak, but not too mad to pull out his wand and point it directly at Peter. "This is for Lily, James and Harry," he said quietly.  
  
But Peter acted quickly, much more so than he ever had before. Pretending to sob, he yelled loudly, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" Then he blew up the entire street with the wand he had concealed behind his back, and in the ensuing confusion he reluctantly cut off his right index finger and turned into a rat. He scuttled out of sight, but before he left he saw a young man from the Ministry of Magic arrive. Sure that Sirius would be caught and charged with Peter's own crimes, he scurried down into the sewers.  
  
Without more of a plan than to lay low for awhile (*Who knows if the Ministry will believe Black's claim that I am an animagus? * Peter thought), he tried to join a group of rats in the dampness, but they sensed something was amiss with him and scattered. Realizing that living with the rats was not going to be an option not only because they didn't like him, but also because he would be utterly unconnected to the wizarding world, Peter decided that once things had blown over a bit, and no one was likely to be looking for a rat, he would find a wizard family to take him in. That way he could keep up on the news while staying undercover. Suddenly, he got very tired and retreated into a crack to get some sleep. He didn't know exactly what his future would bring, but for the moment, he had emerged victorious. 


	3. The Saga of Sirius

A/N: These short stories are based on my fanfiction series that can be found here: &board=Book&so=a , and of course on the wonderful work of J.K. Rowling. Thank you to all who reviewed earlier chapters, I appreciate your support. Please continue to review and give me any suggestions, or tell me what I did wrong!  
  
The Saga of Sirius  
  
Sirius Black was sitting on his couch next to an attractive young witch, whispering softly into her ear. As she giggled and snuggled closer, a loud pop caused Sirius to draw away from her. He turned to his fireplace and was not surprised to see James' head floating in it, though it was obvious his companion was.  
  
"April," he said soothingly, "Why don't you go get us some drinks?"  
  
April nodded and got up from the couch, flipping her long black hair behind her shoulder, as if to remind Sirius of what would be in store for him when she got back. He couldn't resist smiling back, though something told him he wouldn't be able to stay at home much longer.  
  
"What is it James?" Sirius asked as soon as April was out of earshot.  
  
"We need your help, Padfoot," the grave voice from the fireplace said. "Voldemort is coming after Harry, and we would like you to be our Secret- Keeper."  
  
Sirius nodded just as gravely. "Anything for the three of you, Prongs." After a moment, he added, "What exactly is a Secret-Keeper, though?"  
  
"Oh, right," James said with a weak smile, "I forget how recently I myself did not know. Lily knows a charm that will preserve a secret inside a living soul. No one would be able to find out that fact, no matter how hard they tried, unless the Secret-Keeper told someone. Once the secret has been told, the fact can be found out by anyone."  
  
Sirius nodded again. "So I'll keep the secret of where you guys and Harry are? I'll have to go into hiding, too, to keep from being found." He trailed off. "I knew you all were in some danger, but I had no idea it would go this far."  
  
James shook his head. "Neither did we, Padfoot. But we must act quickly now that it has. Can you meet us now?"  
  
He quickly explained where their hideout was and Sirius agreed to be there in a moment, not giving April a thought at all. As James prepared to close the line of communication, the young witch reappeared, carrying two bottles of pumpkin juice. Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, Sirius said, "I have to go, can't explain, see you as soon as I can." Without another word he disapparated and joined Lily, James and Harry in their rundown shack. Without a word, he rushed to James and embraced him.  
  
"Well hello, Padfoot," James said with a laugh, surprised by the gesture, perhaps, but not ungrateful for it.  
  
"Hello, Prongs," Sirius replied, tears glistening in his eyes. He turned to Lily and embraced her as well. Almost subconsciously, he ruffled his little godson's already messy black hair and then a determined look appeared on his face. As soon as James had asked him this favor, something had been bothering him and he finally found words to voice his uneasiness.  
  
"You know I would do anything for the three of you," Sirius began. "And I would be honored to be your Secret-Keeper, but that may not be the safest course of action."  
  
James interrupted. "Sirius, we have made our decision. We trust you more than anyone else."  
  
Bowing his head, Sirius replied, "I am honored by that James, but don't you see that everyone knows that?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, sounding a bit confused.  
  
Feeling very anxious to explain, the words spilled out quickly, "I mean everyone will know that it is me who holds your secret. I think it would be better if you picked someone else who you trust just as much. That way they will be safe from Voldemort as well," Sirius explained, nervously awaiting his friends' reaction.  
  
Immediately, James started to protest again, but Lily calmly interrupted. "James, he has a point. Stop and think about it for a moment."  
  
Sirius was grateful that someone had understood his point, and even more grateful when James shut his mouth and began pacing. Soon he called Lily to his side, where she quickly joined him. Sirius busied himself by playing with Harry, trying hard not to eavesdrop. He only hoped they could make a decision quickly, for their lives depended upon it.  
  
Then James motioned Sirius over. He eagerly acquiesced, and asked, "Will you take my advice?"  
  
Sirius' dear friends nodded, and spoke, at once. If not for the seriousness of the situation, Sirius would have laughed at them for being so used to each other. "Yes, we will-" Lily stopped and laughed, an alien sound, considering the surroundings, "Go ahead, darling," she said, pushing the hair back from James' eyes.  
  
"We have decided to ask Peter to be our Secret-Keeper," James said seriously. "Will you go and ask him if he will do it? If he doesn't, we will depend on you."  
  
"Of course, Prongs, old friend," Sirius replied, trying to look cheerful. "That is an excellent decision, I must say. Shall I have him meet you here?"  
  
Lily nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible. I've already sent him a letter, telling him we were going into hiding, I didn't expect to contact him again."  
  
"I'll explain it all," Sirius replied. "But he'll need a bit of time to get his things in order, if he's going into hiding."  
  
"Twenty-four hours," James said, with an unmistakable air of finality. Since this worked for Sirius' plans as well, he only nodded.  
  
"I'll go at once then," he said. "I don't suppose I'll see you three again until this is all over, so I guess this is 'au revior' for awhile." He didn't want to think about how he would no longer be able to help Albus Dumbledore work against Voldemort, like he had been doing for the past year. Shoving the thought from his mind, he gave Lily and James quick hugs, and stooped to give Harry a kiss on the forehead before disappearing.  
  
He could not, however, bring himself to go straight to Peter's house. He wanted to make sure Peter had gotten Lily's letter first and to be sure that no one had followed him. Besides these good reasons, Sirius also just felt like he needed some time alone. Not only did he have a lot on his mind, but also it was the last chance he would have to be out in the world for an indeterminate amount of time. The time he spent flying high above the clouds on his motorcycle that day was well spent.  
  
A few hours later, he knocked at Peter's door. He stood anxiously on the stoop before bursting in, barely noticing his hair flying behind. "What's up, Padfoot?" Peter yawned.  
  
"We need your help," Sirius said gravely, grabbing Peter's shoulder. "Lily, James, Harry and I."  
  
Peter nodded, a look of concern crossing his face. "Sure, anything you guys need. But sit down before you collapse, Padfoot."  
  
Sirius shook his head, knowing there wasn't time for that. "I can't, I have to get going. But I need to ask you a favor." He looked searchingly into Peter's watery blue eyes. "Will you be James and Lily's Secret- Keeper?"  
  
There was silence for a moment, in which Sirius was worried that Peter would say no, but he said, "Of course, Sirius, you know I'd be glad to. F- Forgive my surprise, but I assumed you would be their Secret-Keeper, if it came to that."  
  
"And I was going to be, until I thought about how easy it would be for Voldemort"- Sirius noticed Peter shuddering, but didn't pause-"to figure it out as well. So I convinced the others that they should use you. You are a friend who is just as devoted and loyal as I, but with a bit less risk," Sirius replied honestly. "So you'll do it?"  
  
Peter smiled at his old friend. "Padfoot, you know I am honored by this request. J-Just tell me when and where to be for the performance of the spell and I'll be there."  
  
Sirius, very relieved, answered, "Tomorrow, at this time, you'll receive an owl directing you where to go. After the spell, you'll have to hide out. I'll check up on you there in about a week." He smiled, so happy to be ensuring the safety of his best friend and his family. "Thank you, Wormtail, you are.the best friend a man can have." Giving Peter a quick embrace, he saluted and disappeared.  
  
He reappeared by his bike and sent his great horned owl to let James and Lily know that Peter would be coming tomorrow. He knew he had a lot to do to be able to go into hiding for awhile, so he directed his motorcycle towards home. It was with a hopeful heart he prepared for his departure, packing a few necessary possessions into a knapsack when he realized that if he left too soon, it would rouse suspicions. So he set his luggage down and collapsed on the couch, where only a few hours prior he had been cuddling with April. For a few minutes he stared at the wall. Then he got up and turned the radio on to the Wizarding Wireless Network.  
  
After a few mindless pop songs, a news report came on. "This just in," the DW said gravely. "From our station in Bristol comes the report of several Muggle deaths at the hands of the so-called Death Eaters, and their leader, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Stay with WWN for further details as they become available."  
  
Sirius closed his eyes and sighed, not wanting to believe it. Before the next segment of the show came on, he turned off the radio and sat, head in hands, wondering what the world was coming to. He spent the next few hours pacing around his house, sometimes stopping to read a page of a book or magazine before growing restless again. After awhile, he sat down, rubbing his temples in an effort to clear his head. Before he knew it, the sun was streaming through his front windows and he had an awful crick in his neck from falling asleep on the couch.  
  
He stood up, stretching his cramped limbs and appreciating the sun on his face. Then the reason he'd been sleeping on the couch hit him like a Mack truck. "Lily and James!" he exclaimed, slapping himself on the forehead. As he did, there was a rapping at the window. Cautiously he approached it, only to find his owl, Gerald, outside.  
  
"Sorry, Gerald," Sirius said, opening the window. "I've been a bit pre- occupied." The tawny owl hooted sympathetically and dropped the letter he carried into Sirius' hands before seeking his perch.  
  
Quickly examining the piece of parchment, Sirius found only the words, "Thank you." He smiled at the Potters' gesture and thoughtfully tucked the slip of paper into his knapsack. He judged he had an hour or so to spend before he could safely leave his house, so he decided he had better find something to do. The photo album on his bookshelf seemed to grab his attention as he went by, so he removed it from the shelf and sat down to leaf through it.  
  
As Sirius turned the pages, he realized how long it had been since he had looked through the album. Most of the pictures were from his time at Hogwarts, though there were a good number of him with baby Harry. His eyes misted over as he watched James, Lily, Remus and Peter waving to him from the pages, so happy and carefree. Why couldn't it still be that way?  
  
Before he knew it, it was time to go. He hastily shoved the album into the front pocket of his knapsack and straddled his motorcycle. It wasn't the most convenient form of wizard transportation, but Sirius found he often didn't want to be at his next destination immediately. Plus, any neighbors watching would see him leave, which would be impossible with disapparation or floo powder. In two hours he had reached his secret hideaway, a rustic cottage near a large forest. He carefully hid the motorcycle in the shed and entered his new home.  
  
It was small, and Sirius thought it might be hard to keep himself cooped up inside it, but of course this was of the utmost importance. Shortly after arrival, he became aware that he no longer knew where James, Lily and Harry lived. This made him smile, for he knew the plan was going according to schedule. He settled himself in front of a cozy fire and soon fell asleep.  
  
After a week, Sirius had adjusted pretty well to life at his secluded cottage. He hoped his stay wouldn't be long- he had faith that Dumbledore and the Ministry would bring Voldemort to justice any day now. He decided to check on Peter Halloween night without the faintest notion that anything was going wrong- that his life was about to be drastically changed.  
  
Astride his trusty motorcycle, Sirius flew to Peter's hideout and landed quietly in the backyard. He knocked softly on the back door and waited. After a moment of silence, he knocked again, louder this time. There was no response and Sirius began to get worried. He tried the doorknob, and to his surprise, it opened easily. Cautiously, he stepped over the threshold.  
  
"Peter?" he called softly. Every second that passed added to his apprehension. Loudly he called, "Peter!" There was no response.  
  
Sirius made a quick, but thorough search of the house, but found no sign of Peter, or a struggle. He didn't know what to make of this discovery and stood for several minutes in the doorway, perfectly still. Terror gripped his inner organs as his mind raced, trying to come to a conclusion. Suddenly, he ran out the door and to his bike, his mind made up to check on the Potters.  
  
It felt like hours before Sirius arrived in Godric's Hollow, his mind filled with the panic that had all but paralyzed the rest of his body. It was only when he landed and saw the rubble that remained of the Potters' home that he realized he shouldn't have known where they lived. He should not have known, unless Peter had told.  
  
That thought knocked the breath out of him, that and the sight of Lily and James' bodies beneath the wreckage. He sank to the ground and buried his head in his hands. This was Peter's fault.Peter's fault and his own fault.  
  
"Is tha' you, Black?"  
  
Startled, Sirius sat up quickly, drawing his wand. Then he saw the large hand that was outstretched and sighed. "Hagrid."  
  
"Who'd yeh think it was?" Hagrid said seriously.  
  
Sirius couldn't answer, for his throat tightened and his eyes felt like they were burning. "Harry?" he managed to say.  
  
Hagrid stepped closer to Sirius, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Sirius could see that Hagrid held a small bundle close to his chest and hope blossomed in his heart.  
  
"Ah've got Harry right here, now," Hagrid said. "He's gonna be jus' fine."  
  
Sirius couldn't hold back the tears any longer, nor did he try to. The hot rivers ran down his face for several minutes before either of the men spoke again. Sirius just couldn't believe this had happened. He was still crying when Hagrid spoke again, hesitantly.  
  
"Are yeh gonna be ok? Cuz Ah've got to take Harry now. Dumbledore's orders."  
  
The mention of Harry brought Sirius back to the harsh reality he was facing. "I'll take him Hagrid," he said forcefully.  
  
"Ah don't know, Dumbledore gave me strict orders," Hagrid said, looking unsure.  
  
"I'm Harry's godfather, his guardian. I was supposed to look after him if something happened to L-" Sirius' voice gave out- he couldn't bring himself to say their names.  
  
Hagrid shook his head, apparently making up his mind. "Ah can't, Sirius. Ah've got to take him to Dumbledore now, but Ah'm sure you'll get him back soon."  
  
Rage bubbled up within Sirius, but he realized it would be useless to argue in the open street. Dumbledore would make sure Harry was taken care of. The only thing to do was to help Hagrid get Harry to safety as quickly as possible.  
  
"I understand, Hagrid. Can I see him first, though?"  
  
Hagrid clumsily moved the blanket from the baby's face, revealing the messy hair Sirius had grown to love. Beneath that hair was an unusual cut, still fresh. To Sirius, it looked like a lightning bolt, but he knew there was no time for questions.  
  
"Take my motorcycle, I won't need it anymore."  
  
Hagrid looked at him questioningly. "Yeh sure you're gonna be alright?"  
  
Trying to look confident, Sirius nodded and shook Hagrid's hand. Seconds later, Hagrid and Harry were flying off into the night. Sirius stood looking at the wreck of a house, knowing that it was his fault that it lay smoldering as it did. The tears began again, hotter more forceful tears of rage and grief. One thought was ingrained on his mind: He had to find Peter.  
  
What happened between Godric's Hollow and the Muggle street where Sirius ended up was a complete blur. He had no idea where he had gone or what he had done, all he knew was that Peter was somewhere nearby, and Peter had betrayed them all. He was almost oblivious to the fact that tears still streamed down his face and his unruly hair was flaring out behind him. Suddenly, Peter stepped out of a doorway and into Sirius' path.  
  
"I've been looking for you, Sirius!" he announced loudly.  
  
Sirius' eyes burned with hatred. "You- you-." He was too irate to speak, but not too far-gone to pull out his wand and point it directly at Peter, with the firm intent of blasting him to pieces. "This is for Lily, James and Harry," he said quietly.  
  
But Peter, who was without his wand, pretended to sob, and he yelled loudly, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?"  
  
Then, there was a terrific explosion and Sirius was thrown thirty feet in the air, and landed on the hard street. He could see other bodies scattered nearby, and he struggled to get upright. He couldn't let Peter get away, if he still lived. It was easy to see where the explosion had originated from, and Sirius cautiously approached the spot, not even bothering to pick up his wand first. He noticed a finger lying nearby, but before he could do anything else he was seized from behind.  
"This is Fudge. I've got Black in my custody in London, but there's been an incident. Please send reinforcements," he heard a man's voice say. There was a crackle of a response before the street was swarming with Ministry personnel. Sirius felt a tug behind his belly button as he was whisked away.  
He was thrown into a dark, damp cell. "We know you were the Potters' Secret-Keeper, Black," a man outside his cell said gravely. "And we know you just killed Pettigrew and who knows how many Muggles. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"  
  
Sirius' mouth went dry. They thought he betrayed Lily and James? He had, of course, been about to kill Peter before the rat had done it himself, but never Lily and James. His voice cracked as he said, "I wasn't their Secret- Keeper. Peter was."  
  
The man, who had a neat mustache, laughed. "That's not what Albus Dumbledore tells us. No one will believe you for an instant. There is some good in this situation, though, namely that your master was destroyed."  
  
"I have no master," Sirius growled.  
  
"Not anymore, you don't. And you can thank little Harry Potter for that," the man said with a proud smile, as if he had personally taken part in Voldemort's fall.  
  
Sirius couldn't hide his surprise. "What? How?"  
  
The dark haired man shrugged. "No one knows, but for some reason when You- Know-Who tried to kill little Harry, the curse bounced off of him and hit You-Know-Who instead."  
  
Looking mystified, Sirius remained silent, wondering how such a miraculous thing could be. His questioner apparently took this for sadness for Voldemort's downfall and said menacingly, "Don't worry about your old master, Black, you'll soon have new masters in the dementors!" With a laugh, he left Sirius' line of sight.  
  
A cold fear swept over Sirius. The dementors meant Azkaban, and every wizard knew that that meant years of confinement until you lost your mind. He stood and rattled the bars of his cell, yelling, "It wasn't me! It was Pettigrew!" His hands grew callused, and his voice rough when he sank to the dirty floor to sleep.  
  
Though the thought of dementors wasn't nice, it didn't occur to Sirius that he would be sent directly to Azkaban until he was roughly awakened mere hours later. Two guards forced him to his feet, and when he asked where they were taking him, they replied, "Azkaban."  
  
Sirius stopped in his tracks and began to struggle against the guards' holds. "I didn't do anything, it wasn't me, I swear! Give me a chance to prove it!"  
  
"You know Mr. Crouch doesn't give trials to Death Eaters, you scum," one guard replied, tightening his grip on Sirius' arm. "And he was convinced after talking to you that you are a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."  
  
'So that was Crouch who questioned me. I should have known that with him in charge I'd be shipped off to Azkaban without a trial,' Sirius thought bitterly, knowing that struggling was useless. They all thought he had betrayed some of his best friends and killed another, and he knew in his heart that he was partly responsible. So he cooperated with the guards, and tried to sleep on the journey, which involved a train and a boat before they reached the island.  
  
Two tall figures glided to meet them at the dock. They wore long robes, which covered their faces, supposing they even had faces. Sirius felt cold as they approached. He shrunk away from them, but the guards shoved him towards the dementors as their dead looking hands reached out to grab him, as they had already grabbed all of his happy thoughts. Sirius looked back at the guards to try to appeal to them, but they were wisely looking away.  
  
Sirius was forced into the fortress of Azkaban between the two soul eaters as they walked what seemed like miles and miles of mazes before they tossed him into a cell. Several horrible scenes from his life played before his eyes as he shivered in the corner, Lily and James' bodies in the wreckage of their house, the look on Remus' face when he found out the trick Sirius had played on Snape. Then came another powerful memory, one that didn't quite banish the others, but kept them at a safer distance: He was innocent. 


	4. Arabella's Strange Account

A/N: Thanks to all who read and reviewed the first several stories. Since the italics haven't transferred here well, I have used * to mark where italics have been used. Please review; critiques are welcome!  
  
***  
  
Arabella's Strange Account  
  
The end of October was nearing and Arabella Figg was staring at her closet. She was about to go out for dinner with Remus Lupin, her boyfriend of a couple of years. For some reason, she wanted to look extra special that evening. After much deliberation, she chose a stunning red dress that flared in just the right places. Smoothing her hair, she smiled at her reflection, as there was a knock at her door.  
  
Arabella opened the door and Remus stood staring at her. She blushed as she noticed how good he looked. His brown hair, starting to mix with gray, was standing up, as always, but there was something about him and his crooked smile. As she smiled, Remus stammered, "You, you look, v-v-very nice tonight."  
  
"Thanks, Remus," she replied with a laugh. "That suit looks good on you, too."  
  
Remus blushed, and quickly offered her his arm. "I thought we could walk," he explained.  
  
Arabella took his arm happily.  
  
As soon as the couple's dinner dishes had disappeared, she sighed happily and looked over at Remus. To her amazement, he was down on one knee.  
  
"Will you marry me?" he asked simply, holding out a beautiful diamond ring.  
  
Arabella's brown eyes sparkled with tears of happiness. "Yes, Remus, I will."  
  
He placed the ring on her finger and Arabella felt like the luckiest girl on earth. Remus put a hand on her cheek then pulled her close in a soft kiss. When they broke apart, they were both smiling widely.  
  
Dessert arrived and the happily affianced couple fed each other chocolate cake, Arabella's ring sparkling merrily each time she moved her hand, reminding her of how wonderful her life was, and how wonderful it was going to be.  
  
Arabella spent the next week in a blissful state. Though part of her was murmuring a warning to pay attention, she was completely oblivious to all outside events until the early hours of November 1.  
  
"Arabella, please wake up."  
  
She recognized Remus' voice and stirred, then her eyes fluttered open. She was surprised, but not entirely unhappy. She smiled, reaching for his hand, and was about to speak when the look on his face stopped her. A feeling of apprehension washed over her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked nervously, noticing Professor Dumbledore standing behind Remus.  
  
Remus didn't answer, only looked at Dumbledore in a way that Arabella could only think of as forlorn.  
  
"I have some very serious news that I am afraid I must share," the older man began. Remus sat down on the bed, and held Arabella's hand, which was beginning to shake.  
  
"Voldemort has found and killed Lily and James."  
  
"What?" Remus asked, while Arabella sat in stunned silence. She had gotten to know James and Lily quite well as she had gotten to know Remus, and she could hardly believe they were gone.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Their house has been destroyed and their bodies found. It happened only an hour ago."  
  
Remus sat, stunned by shock and grief as tears streamed silently down Arabella's face. "What about little Harry?" she asked, looking terrified to hear the answer. She thought of the many hours that she had spent cooing at baby Harry and her face crumbled.  
  
"That," Dumbledore answered with a hint of triumph in his eyes, "is the most mind boggling part. Harry is fine, quite untouched, actually. The spell Voldemort attempted to use on him apparently backfired and he took the brunt of it himself. We don't know where he's gone, but Harry is safe with Hagrid now."  
  
A weight lifted from Arabella's heart. Harry was safe!  
  
"He couldn't be safer," Remus replied, trying to smile, but failing. After a moment of silence, he added, "Their secret was hidden, though. Only Sirius knew where they were. Only Sirius." He trailed off, the implications of this statement hitting him and his tears overcoming him. "How could he betray them like this? How could he?" he exclaimed through a throat tightened by tears. Arabella embraced him, rubbing his back as his body shook with sobs.  
  
"I must ask for your help, though," Dumbledore reminded the couple sternly after a minute.  
  
"Anything we can do to help, sir," Arabella said bravely.  
  
Remus looked up and echoed, "Anything." His eyes looked more determined than Arabella had ever seen them.  
  
"Harry will be taken to Lily's sister's house- Harry's Muggle aunt- until he comes to Hogwarts. I will have several spells in place that will keep him safe from Voldemort there, but I would still like to have one of us nearby always. I am sure Voldemort will be back once he recovers from tonight's events. There is just no telling how long that will be." Dumbledore looked meaningfully at Arabella. "I would like you to go, my dear, and live near Harry and keep an eye on him."  
  
"Of course," Arabella answered immediately, glad to be doing something worthwhile to help.  
  
"When do you want us ready to go?" Remus asked eagerly.  
  
Sadly, Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Mr. Lupin, just Miss Figg. I have a house for her to move into that is two streets from the Dursley's. I would like to see you moved in by tomorrow when Harry arrives, Miss Figg."  
  
Arabella felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her as her fiancee protested.  
  
"But-" Remus started, "I-I want to go too! Harry is very important to me and so is Arabella! The two of us could take care of Voldemort, should he choose to call." His face looked as determined and defiant as he Arabella had ever seen it.  
  
Arabella looked pleadingly at Dumbledore for a moment, but when his face remained set, she turned back to Remus. She knew what she had to do, as much as it hurt.  
  
"Remus, you know I love you. You also know I have to do this. For Lily and James, and Harry, too." She looked into his eyes, pleading with him to understand. "You are much more closely connected with the Potters, Remus. Your presence may attract attention; you may be too close to the situation to do the right thing. Or maybe Dumbledore just needs your help somewhere else."  
  
Remus nodded silently, tears still streaming down his face. "You're right, Arabella," he choked. "You have to do this. When Voldemort is gone for good and Harry has nothing left to fear, we will be together again. Until then, we must do our part to make sure the unspeakable monster is eradicated."  
  
Arabella didn't say a word, just kissed Remus full on the mouth. He responded instantly, pulling her closer, feeling their tongues collide and their tears mix together. A slight cough from Dumbledore reminded Arabella of his presence and they reluctantly pulled apart.  
  
"I have other things I must do before Harry arrives on Privet Drive," Dumbledore said. "I must thank you for your cooperation and excuse myself." With that, he disapparated, and Remus and Arabella were alone on her bed.  
  
"Well," Arabella began, straining to keep her voice cheerful. "We certainly have a lot to do." She looked uncertainly at Remus. "That is, if you are willing to help me get ready."  
  
"Look," Remus said, looking at Arabella with his startling grey eyes full of grief, love and determination. "I don't like the idea of us being apart, but I support you 100 percent. It will be difficult, but we must do it. I am not going to waste our last hours together sulking at home. We had best get packing."  
  
Nodding, Arabella rose from the bed and began looking about her room. She was thankful beyond words that Remus was going to help her. "What is the best way to do this?" she thought aloud.  
  
"You'll be going to a Muggle neighborhood," Remus reminded her patiently. "You need to put all of your things in boxes and hire a truck to take it to your new house."  
  
"Oh, yes," Arabella smiled. "Thank goodness you're here."  
  
They spent the rest of the night and most of the day packing the souvenirs of Arabella's twenty some years of life. Many things she sadly sent over to Remus' house, being too 'wizarding' to go unnoticed in a Muggle home. As the tired couple began to think a lot about dinner, Albus Dumbledore appeared in the room.  
  
He nodded, tiredly. "I am glad to see you have packed in the Muggle fashion," he said without preamble. "Are you almost ready to go?"  
  
"I am ready, sir," Arabella responded immediately.  
  
"I will give you a few minutes to say goodbye, but as soon as the moving truck arrives, you need to have changed into Muggle clothing and taken a sip of this Aging Serum. Age will be your disguise from evil and your camouflage in the neighborhood. If you take a drink every day, you will remain old in appearance without many lasting effects when this terrible ordeal is over." He handed her a vial. "I trust you can remember the ingredients for an Aging Serum so you can make more?"  
  
Arabella nodded silently.  
  
As Dumbledore gave her a firm handshake and a grim good luck, Arabella suddenly asked, "Is it alright if I take Tibbles?"  
  
The kind headmaster looked from Arabella to the cat that sat beside her and back. The Arabella he saw was Arabella at 13, sitting in his office, looking innocent and pure. He didn't even know what he was sending her into. He shook his head, dismissing the thought and returning Arabella to her grown woman self. Arabella nodded sadly, not having really expected to be allowed to take Tibbles, but the professor quickly spoke up. "Yes, you may take Tibbles with you. I see no harm in that." He allowed himself one kind, and somewhat sad, smile before disapparating to her new house ahead of her.  
  
Arabella felt tears welling in her eyes as Remus looked into them. She tried hard to hold them back; she didn't want Remus to see her like this. He had to stay strong, too.  
  
"Don't cry," he said firmly. "You have to have all of your strength for this adventure."  
  
He smiled and she forced herself to smile back. In that moment, she had no words, no way to express how much she loved him, how much she'd miss him, how worried she would be for his safety. There were no words, but there was an embrace. Being held in his arms, she knew he understood everything she felt. But it couldn't last forever, she knew she had to be on her way.  
  
"The truck will be here any moment," Arabella said, moving an arm's length from Remus. "I want you to take care of yourself. I love you so much." Her heart felt deflated.  
  
"I love you, too," Remus replied. "I know you'll keep Harry safe, but I want you to keep yourself safe as well."  
  
A horn honked outside, preventing Arabella from voicing what she was about to say. She only nodded, took a sip of cabbage flavored Aging Serum and removed her robe to reveal a particularly ugly Muggle housedress. As Remus looked on, the potion took affect and Arabella aged fifty years. Her insides wriggled as she felt her skin sag. Looking meaningfully at him, she turned to open the door and let the movers in. As she did, she heard a faint pop behind her and knew that Remus was gone.  
  
Putting on a less miserable face for the movers, Arabella opened the door and allowed the Muggles in. Loading quite efficiently for not using any magic, the truck was soon ready to go. She left the house without looking back, and reluctantly journeyed with the movers to her new home near Privet Drive.  
  
The men at last finished putting the many boxes into the nondescript house that was to be Arabella's home until Voldemort was no longer a threat. She thanked them kindly and when she had shut the door, Dumbledore appeared in the room. Before speaking to him, she opened the door to the pet carrier Tibbles was in and let the cat out. She smiled as she watched him stretch and start sniffing out the new house.  
  
"Miss Figg," Dumbledore began. "I wish to remind you of a few things before I leave. Harry's aunt and uncle only associate with 'normal' people. Therefore, I would like you to remain as unobtrusive as you can, and get to know them a bit without being out of the ordinary. I have cast some spells that would convince weak minds that you are the only sitter for Harry, rather like the Jedis in Star Wars (a delightful Muggle moving picture, in my opinion), for it would be best if they can trust you to watch Harry when they leave the house, but if you do anything to draw attention to yourself, their distrust will overcome my 'suggestions.'"  
  
Arabella nodded. She was beginning to understand what these Muggles must be like, and how they would probably treat Harry.  
  
"If you do get to interact with Harry, you will be tempted to spoil him with affection and attention, but I must warn you against this. You must not draw attention or cause him to be attached to you because he must think the Durselys are his only resource, as bad as that may be," he said sternly. "I will drop in when it seems safe to see how you and Harry are doing, but I will be your only contact with the wizarding world. Do you have any questions?"  
  
Starting to feel a bit nervous, she asked timidly, "Could you take letters back to Remus after you drop by?"  
  
Dumbledore's face softened, but he shook his head. "I am afraid I cannot do that. If any such letter were to fall into the wrong hands." His voice trailed off suggestively. They both knew what could happen if Arabella's cover was blown, and neither wanted to think of it.  
  
"I understand," Arabella replied, holding her head high. "I want to thank you for trusting me with this assignment, Albus."  
  
"I know I can count on you, Miss Figg," he said gravely. "Or should I say MRS. Figg?" He winked and vanished, leaving Arabella alone in her strange new world. She started unpacking boxes, anxious to eat dinner, but she soon realized she didn't have any food with her. Resigning herself to her first trip to a Muggle supermarket, she finished the box she was on and grabbed her purse.  
  
As Arabella was about to open her door, there was a knock at it. Opening it cautiously, she was surprised to see a tall, thin woman with fair hair. Before Arabella could open her mouth, the woman smiled with her horse-like teeth displayed, and said, "I'm Petunia Dursely, I live down the street. I couldn't help but notice the moving truck at your house earlier and thought you might like a casserole." As she spoke, she craned her long neck, trying to see into the house.  
  
"I'm Mrs. Bella Figg," Arabella said smiling. "Thank you for the casserole. Would you like to come in?"  
  
"Why thank you, Mrs. Figg," Mrs. Dursely replied. "But I can't stay long, or my little Dudley will get cranky."  
  
Sitting down at the kitchen table she had luckily already set up, Arabella asked politely, "Oh, you have a little one at home?"  
  
"Yes, my Dudley-kins is almost a year old and a perfect angel," Mrs. Dursely said with a sigh. "But tell me more about yourself, Mrs. Figg. Do you have any family?"  
  
Arabella struggled to keep calm as she answered, "My husband was taken from me very recently, and we had no children." She figured the pain in her voice would move her new neighbor to change the subject, but to her surprise, Mrs. Dursely asked how long she had been married.  
  
Shocked at the bad manners of her neighbor, the only thing she could think to say was, "The subject is rather painful, I'd rather not discuss it right now."  
  
Instead of nodding sympathetically, Mrs. Petunia Dursely plowed right ahead and asked, "Why?"  
  
Bowing her head to disguise the increasing exasperation she felt, Arabella quietly asked how long the Dursely's had lived in the neighborhood.  
  
"Oh, three years now," Mrs. Dursely said cheerfully. "Vernon and I got away from my awful family as soon as we could!" Then she gasped. "Not that they're odd in any way! My family is completely normal, only they try one's nerves a bit, you know." She laughed nervously.  
  
Smiling in what she hoped was a sympathetic way, Arabella nodded, wondering at Petunia's strange reaction. After a few more minutes of Arabella patiently changing the subject when her neighbor's prying got to be too much, she exclaimed, "You'll have to excuse me, Mrs. Dursely, but I have a lot to do tonight before I can get to bed and I am already quite tired. Thank you so much for the casserole."  
  
Her nosy neighbor got the hint and departed as gracefully as she could manage, calling out a cheery goodbye as she walked down the sidewalk. Arabella waved cheerfully, then quickly shut the door and leaned against it, sighing. "What a perfectly awful woman," she remarked to Tibbles, who was sitting nearby. "I can't imagine what she'll do when she finds a wizard baby on her doorstep tomorrow morning."  
  
As interesting as the subject was to Arabella, she couldn't dwell on it long for her stomach was begging for attention. She warmed up the casserole and quickly ate it before getting her bed set up. Having done a great many things the inefficient Muggle way, she was quite exhausted when she finally did get to bed, and she fell asleep faster than she ever had before.  
  
Early the next morning, she thought that she heard a scream, which seemed to have come from a few streets over. She spent a moment musing about whether it could be the Dursley's finding baby Harry, but that didn't seem logical, so she sipped her Aging Serum and went back to the business of setting up house. It took her most of the day to get everything just the way she wanted it, but she welcomed the task. It kept her mind off of Lily, James and Remus at least, and she was thankful for that.  
  
In the evening, Arabella decided that she should probably pay the Dursley's a call, not only to repay Mrs. Dursley's call, but also to make sure that Harry had arrived there as planned. Throwing on a shawl, she shut her door and walked casually to Number 4 Privet Drive. The house looked quiet and absolutely normal, and Arabella began to have doubts that Harry was even there, but she carefully climbed the steps to the stoop and rang the doorbell.  
  
A very disheveled Petunia Dursley opened the door. "Oh, hello Mrs. Figg," she said, seeming somewhat out of breath. "You'll have to excuse me, today was quite hectic."  
  
"I can call later if this is a bad time," Arabella said, trying to sound old and hesitant.  
  
Mrs. Dursley shook her head. "Oh, no, dear. You're fine. Come in."  
  
As Arabella did so, Mrs. Dursley continued, "It's just that my sister and her husband were killed last night, and their son Harry has come to live with us."  
  
Arabella attempted to keep her expression one of uninterested sympathy as she replied quietly, "You must be very devastated."  
  
Mrs. Dursley dismissed that allegation with a wave of her hand. "We didn't associate with the boy's parents, actually." Then she rushed Arabella into the kitchen and offered her cookies before she could ask any more questions. Arabella strained her ears for baby noises over the Muggle woman's incessant chatter and was rewarded with the sound of two babies screeching. In a moment the sound became overwhelming.  
  
"Vernon!" Mrs. Dursley shrieked.  
  
A very large man with a very red face appeared in the kitchen. "Petunia, I have no time to prevent that wretched orphan from stealing Dudley's toys. Come in here and do something about him!" With a glare, Vernon Dursley left the room to return to his work,  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Figg," Mrs. Dursley said, rising. "I'm afraid I have to go tend to my Dudley-kins."  
  
"Not at all, Mrs. Dursley," Arabella replied. "I know this must be a tough day for you. I hope you will bring the children to visit me when you are more settled."  
  
"Of course," Mrs. Dursley said, opening the door. "I'll bring Dudley by soon. Good night."  
  
*Oh dear,* thought Arabella, *I hope she doesn't feel this antagonistic towards Harry for long.* Little did she know that this foul treatment would last for over fifteen years.  
  
When she returned to her house, she decided to restock her dwindling supply of Aging Serum, so she set to work mixing another batch. She had forgotten how much it smelt like cabbage, as the scent wafted through her new house. *I'll never get that smell out of the furniture,* she thought with a sigh.  
  
Not a moment too soon, she was finished with the potion and collapsed on her faded couch. Tibbles leaped onto her lap, curled up and began to purr. Without even thinking, Arabella began stroking her beloved pet, thankful that she was allowed to keep something of her former life. It was comforting to know that Remus still had Sirius, Peter, and Fletcher, to keep him company. A moment later, she remembered herself, and shook the thought from her head. She couldn't keep dwelling on her old life; she had to stay on task, for Harry's sake.  
  
Gently pushing Tibbles aside, Arabella moved to the window and pushed the curtain over to look out the window. The street was still and quiet, as she had expected, but she stood there, looking to the sky as if any moment someone or something would appear out of the darkness. She had sworn to protect Harry from all evil magic, and she would follow Dumbledore's instructions to the letter, but she couldn't help but think that maybe what he needed most right now was rescuing from Number 4 Privet Drive. 


	5. The Lasting Love of Lily

Lily Evans Potter sat down at her desk and opened her journal. It was green, a deep and vibrant green, a color that meant more to her now than it did when she had received the journal years ago. Every time she saw it, she was reminded of her darling little boy, Harry. As she picked up a quill and pulled her long auburn hair behind her ears, she realized that most of the things that were on her mind she couldn't put on paper. She recalled from a few days ago James' warning, "You don't know who could get their hands on it, Lil, so be careful."  
  
So instead of pouring out her concerns, Lily tried to write cheerfully about the new words Harry had learned. In just the past week he had learned "wand", "accio", and "chocolate frog." Smiling, her worries almost forgotten for the moment, except that their weight still rested on her heart, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked into a pair of brilliant blue eyes.  
  
"You've got to do something about that hair, James," she exclaimed playfully.  
  
Her devoted husband tried to smooth his unruly mop of black hair, but in vain. He sighed, "It's no use, Lils. The hair of Gryffindor's heir refuses to be tamed."  
  
Before Lily could reply tersely about how that was not a subject to be joked about, especially now, an owl flew in the window and landed on her desk. She quickly took the letter from the bird and absentmindedly handed it some spare change. As it took off, she opened it and recognized the handwriting of Hogwarts' Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. She silently chided herself for still thinking of him that way- they were equals now, on the same mission.  
  
Dear Lily and James, I must request a meeting with the two of you immediately. Bring the boy with you to our normal meeting place. Yours,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
James, who was reading over Lily's shoulder, immediately went to the next room and picked up a sleeping Harry. "Do we need any of his stuff, Lily?" he called.  
  
"Just grab his niffler," she called back, grabbing a sweater before meeting them in the living room. If she had had time to make sentimental observations, she would have been pleased at the picture James, Harry and the stuffed animal made, but as soon as she joined her husband, they Disapparated and reappeared in an old, run down shack. It was dark, and contained only a rickety desk and a stone fireplace.  
  
Albus was waiting for them. "Hello, Lily, James, Harry. I wish we had time to catch up, but this is terribly urgent. I have just received word that Voldemort is, in fact, actively searching for Harry."  
  
Lily knew it was coming, but couldn't help gasping and holding Harry closer. James put a protective arm around them both and replied, "What should we do, Albus?"  
  
"Your best bet will be with the Fidelius Charm," the older wizard said gravely.  
  
Nodding, Lily replied, "I know of it. That's where one's secret gets place inside of someone else, right?"  
  
It was Albus' turn to nod. "Exactly, Lily. It is a complex charm, but it should pose no difficulties for you. You need only choose your Secret- Keeper, and the spell can be performed immediately."  
  
James held his hand up. "Back up a bit, I'm not really familiar with this charm."  
  
"We pick a Secret-Keeper- the person we trust most in the world- and after the charm is performed, the secret- in our case, our whereabouts- will be hidden inside their soul. No one else will be able to find the information unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell it. At that point, anyone who tries to find us would be able to," Lily quickly explained.  
  
"So we need to get Sirius here," James said.  
  
Lily nodded. "The sooner the better."  
  
Albus interrupted. "Are you sure that Mr. Black is the best choice? You know I think someone has been leaking information about you to-"  
  
James cut him off. "It isn't Sirius. I know we can trust him."  
  
After a moment of hesitation, Albus said, "I am perfectly willing to be your Secret-Keeper, you know. We could get it done right now."  
  
Smiling sweetly, Lily softly replied, "We appreciate the offer, Albus, but you are not prepared to give up your life to go into hiding right now. We can trust Sirius, and he can be here shortly."  
  
"If that is what you truly wish," he replied, looking older than ever. He solemnly shook James and Lily's hands in turn, and then let Harry grab his finger and chew vigorously upon it. He smiled, then gently pried his finger away and said, "Let me know if I can help you in any way. I look forward to working with the two of you as soon as this terrible ordeal is over." Without even a pop, he was gone.  
  
"Well, James, you had better get in touch with Sirius and get him here as quick as you can. I'll write Remus and Peter letters to let them know we've gone into hiding. We can't risk going to see them. Time is running out," Lily said.  
  
"I know, darling, but it will all work out," James said, kissing her forehead. He ruffled Harry's hair before going over to the fireplace. Lily saw Sirius' head appear in the open space before sitting down to compose letters to their closest friends. It was one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do, but in a steady hand she wrote:  
  
Dear Remus, This is not how I would like to say goodbye to you, but for now, it is the only solution. Voldemort is coming after Harry, and our only solution is to have the Fidelius Charm performed and to go into hiding. We will be perfectly safe, but we must give up all outside contact until this ordeal is over. Tell Arabella that we said goodbye as well. Love, Lily and PRONGS  
  
As Lily scribbled a similar letter to Peter, she heard two successive pops, one as Sirius' head disappeared from the fireplace, and the next as all of Sirius appeared in the room. Without a word, he rushed to James and embraced him.  
  
"Well hello, Padfoot," James said with a laugh, but Lily could tell he appreciated the gesture more than he could say.  
  
"Hello, Prongs," Sirius replied, tears glistening in his eyes. He turned to Lily and embraced her as well. He ruffled Harry's already messy black hair, and then a determined look appeared on his face.  
  
"You know I would do anything for the three of you," Sirius began. "And I would be honored to be your Secret-Keeper, but that may not be the safest course of action."  
  
James interrupted. "Sirius, we have made our decision. We trust you more than anyone else."  
  
Bowing his head, Sirius replied, "I am honored by that James, but don't you see that everyone knows that?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, a bit confused.  
  
"I mean everyone will know that it is me who holds your secret. I think it would be better if you picked someone else who you trust just as much. That way they will be safe from Voldemort as well," Sirius explained, licking his parched lips, as was his habit when he was nervous.  
  
James started to protest again, but Lily interrupted. "James, he has a point. Stop and think about it for a moment."  
  
He didn't look happy about it, but he stopped arguing and started pacing. It didn't take long for him to call Lily to his side, where she happily joined him.  
  
"I understand Sirius' point, Lil. What do you think we should do?" He asked, staring into her eyes.  
  
"I think we should ask Peter or Remus. That way they will safely carry our secret while Sirius willingly assumes the risk involved," Lily said without hesitation.  
  
"Remus is so caught up in his engagement, we can't ask him to go into hiding. But Peter is perfect. We can trust him completely, but he won't be the obvious choice," James stated decisively. Lily nodded in agreement and James motioned Sirius, who was cooing at baby Harry, over.  
  
"Will you take my advice?" he asked eagerly.  
  
Nodding in perfect unison, James and Lily spoke at the same time. "Yes, we will-" Lily laughed when she realized Sirius couldn't have understood a word of what either she or James had said. "Go ahead, darling," she said, pushing the hair back from his eyes.  
  
"We have decided to ask Peter to be our Secret-Keeper," James said seriously. "Will you go and ask him if he will do it? If he doesn't fancy the job, we will depend on you."  
  
"Of course, Prongs, old friend," Sirius replied, trying to look cheerful. "That is an excellent decision, I must say. Shall I have him meet you here?"  
  
Lily nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible. I've already sent him a letter, telling him we were going into hiding, I didn't expect to contact him again."  
  
"I'll explain it all," Sirius replied. "But he'll need a bit of time to get his things in order, if he's going into hiding."  
  
"Twenty-four hours," James said, with an unmistakable air of finality. Lily had to shoo the thought of how attractive she found him when he took charge like this out of her mind. Now was certainly not the time.  
  
"I'll go at once then," Sirius said. "I don't suppose I'll see you three again until this is all over, so I guess this is 'au revior' for awhile." He quickly gave Lily and James hugs and kissed Harry's smooth forehead. He disappeared with a tiny pop.  
  
For the first time since word had come to the Potters that Voldemort was on a mission to destroy the heirs of Godric Gryffindor, Lily felt her spirits sink. Now that there was nothing to do but wait, the full meaning of what was happening to them began to sink in. She sat down heavily.  
  
James immediately noticed the change and came to sit next to her, setting Harry between them.  
  
"We'll be fine," he said reassuringly, placing his muscular arm around her shoulders. "We've got the best friends in the world out there helping to keep us safe, and we-all three of us- have each other to help keep us sane."  
  
Steeling herself, Lily nodded. "You're right. What do we have to worry about?"  
  
A few hours later, she was able to relax a bit more as Sirius' owl arrived with the news that Peter would meet them the next day to become their Secret-Keeper. However, as night fell, Harry decided he didn't like being away from home, and refused to sleep in the strange room. After he finally had fallen asleep, exhausted from resisting, Lily felt more on edge than before.  
  
She and James lay on their thin, ragged blankets, Lily feeling safe in her husband's arms.  
  
"Do you remember when I asked you out for the first time?" James asked softly in Lily's ear.  
  
Smiling, she replied, "How could I forget? You were so nervous you couldn't string two words together! I was about to take you to see Madam Pomfrey when I finally understood what was going on."  
  
James laughed. "I thought that being the quidditch captain had given me the confidence I needed. It had with other girls.but I knew that you were different."  
  
Lily snuggled closer and let him continue.  
  
"By graduation, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." he trailed off. "But I never saw this coming. I hate to have put you through this, Lily," his voice filling with passion. "If you had married Arnie Peasgood, you wouldn't be involved in all of this ridiculous Heir stuff!"  
  
Placing her cool hand on James' reddening face, Lily calmly replied, "I don't love Arnie Peasgood, I love you, James Potter. And I would rather be here, with you and Harry, than somewhere safe with anyone else."  
  
Kissing her lips lightly, James smiled. "If you're sure."  
  
But Lily was slipping into sleep, unable to pull herself out to reply. But before she completely surrendered, she felt James kiss her forehead, and hold her closer to himself.  
  
The next day was the worst Lily had experienced. Her agitation and suspense were mounting every minute, even as she tried to read up on the Fidelius Charm. It seemed as if either she or James were flicking back the curtains for a quick look outside every few minutes. As if that wasn't bad enough, Harry was definitely tired of the place, and showed it by crying large, hot tears practically all day. Even his niffler didn't help to distract him.  
  
Lily was rocking him back and forth, cooing, "In a few hours, my darling, we will be back in Godric's Hollow, safe and sound," while James looked quickly outside for any signs of activity, when Peter appeared with a loud pop.  
  
James strode quickly over to welcome Peter, followed by Lily, who thrust the suddenly calm and curious Harry into James' arms.  
  
"Are you ready, Peter?" Lily asked gently, removing her gaze from his mildly shaking hands.  
  
Peter nodded, looking into her eyes.  
  
"I can't tell you how grateful James and I are that you would do this for us," she continued, giving Peter a hug. Her emotions were overflowing, and as she released Peter, she discovered her eyes had welled with tears.  
  
James shook Peter's hand. "Thank you, for giving up your normal life for us, and for Harry."  
  
Peter nodded, casting a glance to Harry's sleeping form lying only a few feet away. Lily followed his gaze and smiled lovingly at her child. He would soon be safe from harm.  
  
"You're quite welcome, you know," Peter said briskly. "Anything for the two of you. Shall we get on with it?"  
  
Lily smiled. "Yes, we mustn't waste time." She briefly explained to Peter how the extremely advanced charm worked by hiding the secret in Peter's soul, and that once she had performed the spell, the Potters would be impossible for anyone to find unless he chose to divulge the information. Then it would be possible for anyone to track them down. Peter nodded a bit nervously.  
  
"Now just stand perfectly still while I perform the spell, Peter," Lily said gently.  
  
Lily watched Peter close his eyes tightly and stand perfectly still. She motioned to James to back away, then raised her wand. As she muttered the spell to cast the Fidelius Charm, a flash of white light shone brightly. Lily fought the urge to cover her eyes.  
  
"It worked," Lily said, feeling extremely proud and defiant, as Peter warily opened his eyes. "We'll be safe now."  
  
James picked up the sleeping Harry, took Lily's hand, and said, "We'll be off now, Wormtail. You had better get to your hideout, too. Stay safe, my friend." Lily smiled at Peter, hoping it showed her true gratitude, then the entire family Apparated away.  
  
At the sight of his familiar surroundings, baby Harry squealed with glee and squirmed out of his father's grasp. Lily sighed contentedly as she watched him break out his favorite toys. Things were going to be just fine now. No one could find them, and with Dumbledore leading the crusade against Voldemort, this ordeal was sure to be over soon.  
  
Preparations for Halloween quickly consumed the Potter residence. There wasn't really much they could do to help their situation, so Lily and James had decided to try to keep things as normal as possible for Harry. This, of course, meant celebrating Halloween in the usual wizard way. Lily planned a huge feast while James decorated the inside of the house. Harry seemed to catch on that something exciting was going to happen, for he grew more anxious every day that passed.  
  
The family hadn't been sitting down to dinner very long that Halloween evening when Lily suddenly felt very exposed. She looked to James, who looked as vexed as she felt. Then came a large noise out in their front yard. Without a word, James left the table to see what was going on. Instinctively, Lily picked Harry up out of his high chair and stood nervously in the dining room.  
  
Then, from the front of the house James yelled, "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"  
  
Lily held Harry closely as she headed swiftly for the back of the house. She heard someone stumble into the front room. The front door sounded as if it had burst open, and she heard high-pitched laughter before a green light engulfed the front of the house.  
  
Knowing what that meant, she shuddered violently, but she knew that nothing could be done for James now. Her mind was focused on saving Harry. As she reached the back door, a cold voice behind her said, "You're holding the last living heir of Godric Gryffindor. But not for long."  
  
She saw his glowing red eyes focusing on her only son from under a hooded cloak. "Not Harry! Not Harry! Please- I'll do anything-" Lily gasped, trying to shield Harry from Voldemort's view.  
  
"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" he growled, motioning her aside with his long fingers.  
  
Panic stricken, Lily screamed, "Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry."  
  
"Stand aside, you silly girl.stand aside, now." The voice was getting impatient, but Lily did not back down. He wanted Harry, but he wouldn't get him.  
  
"Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead-" she pleaded, heart beating faster than she would have thought possible. She had to protect her son: her love had to be enough. It was the only thing left.  
  
Tears were rolling down Lily's face, but she was not aware of them. "Not Harry! Please.have mercy.have mercy."  
  
Lily's screams blended with Voldemort's high-pitched laughter as he raised his wand and his mouth formed the words "Avada Kedavra." 


	6. Mundungus Fletcher Saves the Day

Mundungus Fletcher Saves the Day  
  
Fletcher walked into Hogwarts, feeling very odd. He was rarely unsure of himself, but being back in Hogwarts made him feel very old (though he was in his early 20's) and detached. He quickly made his way along the familiar route to Professor Dumbledore's office. The thought of how many times he had been here during his years at Hogwarts brought a smile to his face. Just as he was wondering how he was going to get inside the office, Albus stepped out from behind the stone gargoyle that guarded his office's entrance.  
  
"Mundungus," the older wizard said, shaking Fletcher's hand. Shaking his head at being addressed like this, (everyone else called him Fletcher, but he supposed Dumbledore thought this sounded like Fletcher was still a student) Fletcher returned the firm grip.  
  
"Albus," he said seriously.  
  
Albus said to the gargoyle, "Licorice wand," and it revealed a spiral staircase. "Please come into my office so that we can talk."  
  
Fletcher strode confidently behind Albus into his office. It was filled with many of the magical objects that Fletcher remembered from his Hogwarts years, which, he reminded himself, weren't very long ago.  
  
"I would like your help, Mundungus," Albus said, peering gravely over his half moon glasses. "Lord Voldemort may be after the Potters and I need someone to help me gather information on his current activities and plans."  
  
Fletcher nodded curtly, wondering why Albus insisted on using You-Know- Who's name. "Of course, Albus." Albus had enlisted him in the fight against the Dark Lord some time ago, and Fletcher was honored to be sent on such an important mission.  
  
"I know you have many friends who have rather, ahem, shady backgrounds," Albus continued. "If you could please get in touch with as many of them as possible and let me know if you find anything out."  
  
Fletcher nodded and left the office, unable to hide his smirk. Yes, he had friends with rather shady backgrounds. He himself had had some close encounters with the Ministry, but when it came to the fight against You- Know-Who, Fletcher was on the front lines of Dumbledore's resistance.  
  
He decided he would first try the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, a popular hangout for some of his acquaintances. Since he could not Disapparate from Hogwarts grounds, he decided it would be quicker to take one of the secret passages to the village. Luckily he had caught his Hogwarts roommates, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew sneaking out of the statue of the humped witch that lead to Hogsmeade during their last year at Hogwarts.  
  
After checking the hallway for any wandering students or staff, Fletcher tapped the statue with his wand and whispered, "Dissendium." To his delight, the statue opened and Fletcher squeezed himself through the opening, glad for once that he was a small man.  
  
The walk was a bit longer than Fletcher remembered it, but it gave him time to think about how he would approach his task. While none of his acquaintances were actually You-Know-Who supporters, they may have heard things from their friends that they would be reluctant to leak to one of Dumbledore's trusted comrades. Finally, Fletcher hit his head on the trapdoor leading to Honeyduke's and carefully made his way from the basement to the main floor of the store.  
  
Inside the Three Broomsticks, the owner, Rosemerta, recognized Fletcher.  
  
"It has been too long, Mr. Fletcher," she said with a pout. "Why have you not been in to see me?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Rosemerta," Fletcher answered with a smile. "I have had some urgent business to attend to." After placing his order, he made his way to a table in the back of the bar where a cloaked figure was sitting. It tried hard to avoid Fletcher's gaze, but he finally addressed the creature, which he knew to be a hag named Gwenog.  
  
"Gwenog," Fletcher began with a smile, "May I join you?"  
  
He sat down without waiting for her reply.  
  
"I knows what you're after," Gwenog hissed at Fletcher. "But I don't got no information for you."  
  
"Are you sure about that?" Fletcher asked quietly. When the hag remained silent, he added, "My wand seems to think that you're lying to me, my dear, and I am afraid it has a mind of its own."  
  
Gwenog saw Fletcher's wand pointed at her under the cover of the table and glared at him, her ugly face contorted into a look of rage.  
  
"You wouldn't," she hissed.  
  
"Try me," Fletcher replied casually.  
  
Snarling, the hag spat at Fletcher, "What do you want to know, you rotten boy?"  
  
"Is You-know-Who after the Potters?" he asked, fiddling with his wand to remind his companion of its presence.  
  
Nodding from under her hood, she answered, "James and Harry, he is."  
  
"Why?" Fletcher asked, though he suspected he knew the answer already.  
  
"Wants to destroy the Heirs of Gryffindor, the Dark Lord does," the hag cackled softly.  
  
"Thank you, Gwenog," Fletcher said. "Can I pay for your drink?" He dropped some coins on the table and left the bar, headed for the post office.  
  
Fletcher had always suspected that the Potters were descended from Godric Gryffindor, but it wasn't something that James had bragged about at all. There were just certain signs that had caught Fletcher's eye and had always caused him to wonder. But now everything made sense. He decided to send Albus an owl confirming He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's plans for the Potters, then move across the country, talking to other acquaintances about the Dark Lord's plans.  
  
He wrote:  
  
Albus,  
  
You-Know-Who is after James and Harry, as Heirs of Gryffindor. I am off to see if I can find out more. I trust that you will warn James as soon as this owl reaches you.  
  
Fletcher  
  
Though Fletcher and James Potter had had their differences at school (especially the year Fletcher's twin sister had been expelled for doing dark magic), being roommates had made them quite close friends. Fletcher hoped that James would be able to get his family to safety in time. But there wasn't time to worry too much about it after paying for the owl and watching it set out for the castle on the horizon.  
  
In the next several days, Fletcher traveled all over England, visiting pubs and abandoned buildings, consorting with the types of wizards and creatures that most law-abiding wizards would have avoided like the plague. But let's face it, Fletcher thought to himself, I am not exactly law-abiding myself. Halloween found him at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, interrogating a vampire about You-Know-Who's plans.  
  
The vampire, who Fletcher knew only as Vlad, kept insisting that he knew nothing, even after being hit with a Babbling Curse. Fletcher cursed under his breath at the lack of useful information he had mined (though he now knew a lot about Vlad's nanny and his teenage exploits). Without bothering to remove the curse, Fletcher simply left the bar and opened the door to room 11, where he would be staying for the night.  
  
Fletcher slept restlessly, tossing and turning all night. He had finally fallen into a deep sleep when the noise of fireworks outside his room awakened him. Angrily, he went to the window to tell whoever was causing the ruckus to knock it off, but as he opened the window, an owl dropped something into it and flew away, hooting happily. Amazed by this behavior, Fletcher looked out onto the street and saw more owls than he ever had before dropping newspapers up and down the street.  
  
Then he noticed the headline:  
  
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Defeated by Baby Potter: His parents are killed, but the boy lives!"  
  
He let out a Whoop of joy, completely forgetting that he had been rudely awoken. He skimmed through the article while pulling on some robes, then ran down to the pub, knocking on every door he passed, yelling, "You-Know- Who has been defeated!"  
  
The street was now crowded with wizards rather than owls. Everyone buzzed with excitement, feeling better than they had in years. Every few minutes, someone's joy overflowed and their wand let out a series of fireworks, or multi-colored sparks, or loud bangs. Fletcher was right in the thick of things, drinking out of a large tankard of butterbeer that had been passed to him. He pulled several passing witches into bone crushing hugs as they passed him in the crowd. No one minded; each of them was too delirious with happiness to care. Fletcher found himself being jostled towards Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor as he heard a voice yell, "Ice cream is on the house today, folks, in honor of little Harry Potter!"  
  
A cheer rose up from the crowd, but Fletcher felt his heart sink and he searched through the throngs of wizards for a place to sit down. Though he had read the article in the Daily Prophet, and knew what had happened to the Potters, it hadn't sunk in until Mr. Fortescue had yelled Harry's name like that. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was gone, but so were James and Lily Potter. The wizarding world's victory had come at a personal cost to Fletcher and all of Dumbledore's supporters. Trying to clear his thoughts, Fletcher shook his head. He had known there would be sacrifices in this war; he should really be grateful for a victory of any sort.  
  
As he sat outside of the crowd, another owl swooped down with a letter for Fletcher. He recognized the handwriting as that of Albus Dumbledore.  
  
Mundungus, Though this news of Voldemort's (*Fletcher shuddered at the name*) defeat is wonderful, please do not let your guard down. You are free to spend today as you see fit, but I will still be in need of your help after today. I know James was your friend, believe me when I say I feel the loss as keenly as anyone does. Albus  
  
Fletcher folded up the letter and stuffed it inside his robes. Tomorrow he would be back to work, and would be able to start sorting through the Potters' deaths. Today was a day to celebrate, as there had been little reason to celebrate for quite some time. It was a day to celebrate You- Know-Who's downfall, the success of Lily and James' sacrifices, and Harry Potter's amazing survival, Fletcher thought, as another round from the Leaky Cauldron was passed around and Tom the innkeeper led them in a toast, "To harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived!" 


	7. James' Final Week

James' Final Week  
  
James stood over his sleeping child and grinned. What would Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail say if they could see him at that moment? They would surely laugh at how domesticated their old friend Prongs had become, but good- naturedly, for they understood how lucky he was. Moony was soon to become as lucky as James felt, in fact. If only news of their engagement had come at a happier time. These thoughts reminded James of Lily, so he went to where she sat at the desk, writing. Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and James looked into her sparkling green eyes.  
  
"You've got to do something about that hair, James," she exclaimed playfully.  
  
Almost as a reflex, James tried to smooth his unruly mop of black hair, but he knew it would be in vain. He sighed, "It's no use, Lils. The hair of Gryffindor's heir refuses to be tamed."  
  
Then he realized what he had said-joking about being Gryffindor's heir was not funny at all during this time, but he had said it without thinking. Before he could take it back, an owl flew in the window and landed on Lily's desk. She quickly took the letter from the bird and absentmindedly handed it some spare change. As it took off, she opened it. James looked over her shoulder and read:  
  
Dear Lily and James, I must request a meeting with the two of you immediately. Bring the boy with you to our normal meeting place. Yours,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
James, though alarmed at the urgency, immediately went to the next room and picked up a sleeping Harry. "Do we need any of his stuff, Lily?" he called, looking at the assortment of toys and baby supplies that cluttered the room.  
  
"Just grab his niffler," she called back.  
  
James looked quickly around for the stuffed niffler that was a favorite of his young son and picked it up. Soon he and Harry had joined Lily and they Disapparated and reappeared in an old, run down shack. It was dark, and contained only a rickety desk and a stone fireplace.  
  
Albus was waiting for them. "Hello, Lily, James, Harry. I wish we had time to catch up, but this is terribly urgent. I have just received word that Voldemort is, in fact, actively searching for Harry."  
  
Lily gasped. James' head was whirling, but he put a protective arm around Lily and Harry and replied, "What should we do, Albus?"  
  
"Your best bet will be with the Fidelius Charm," the older wizard said gravely.  
  
James was perplexed, but Lily nodded and replied, "I know of it. That's where one's secret gets place inside of someone else, right?"  
  
It was Albus' turn to nod. "Exactly, Lily. It is a complex charm, but it should pose no difficulties for you. You need only choose your Secret- Keeper, and the spell can be performed immediately."  
  
The confusion was mounting in James' head as he tried to get his mind around the fact that Voldemort was coming after him and his son, and trying to follow Lily and Albus' conversation. He held his hand up. "Back up a bit, I'm not really familiar with this charm."  
  
"We pick a Secret-Keeper- the person we trust most in the world- and after the charm is performed, the secret- in our case, our whereabouts- will be hidden inside their soul. No one else will be able to find the information unless the Secret-Keeper chooses to tell it. At that point, anyone who tries to find us would be able to," Lily quickly explained.  
  
"So we need to get Sirius here," James said without hesitation. He was pleased to see Lily nod as well.  
  
"The sooner the better," she replied.  
  
Albus interrupted. "Are you sure that Mr. Black is the best choice? You know I think someone has been leaking information about you to-"  
  
James cut him off. Nobody knew Sirius like he did. "It isn't Sirius. I know we can trust him."  
  
After a moment of hesitation, Albus said, "I am perfectly willing to be your Secret-Keeper, you know. We could get it done right now."  
  
Smiling sweetly, in a way that made James want to kiss her right there, Lily softly replied, "We appreciate the offer, Albus, but you are not prepared to give up your life to go into hiding right now. We can trust Sirius, and he can be here shortly."  
  
"If that is what you truly wish," he replied, looking older than ever. He solemnly shook James and Lily's hands in turn, and then let Harry grab his finger and chew vigorously upon it. He smiled, then gently pried his finger away and said, "Let me know if I can help you in any way. I look forward to working with the two of you as soon as this terrible ordeal is over." Without even a pop, he was gone.  
  
"Well, James, you had better get in touch with Sirius and get him here as quick as you can. I'll write Remus and Peter letters to let them know we've gone into hiding. We can't risk going to see them. Time is running out," Lily said.  
  
"I know, darling, but it will all work out," James said, kissing her forehead. He ruffled Harry's hair before going over to the fireplace. He threw some powder into the fire, then summoned Sirius to it. Padfoot's head appeared in the fire a moment later. It seemed to be watching someone leave the room that Sirius was in.  
  
Still smiling, Padfoot asked, "What is it James?"  
  
"We need your help, Padfoot," James said in a grave tone. "Voldemort is coming after Harry, and we would like you to be our Secret-Keeper." It did not even cross his mind that Sirius would refuse. The two men were like brothers, and had been for as long as either could remember.  
  
Sirius nodded, looking as grave as James felt. "Anything for the three of you, Prongs." After a moment, he added, "What exactly is a Secret-Keeper, though?"  
  
"Oh, right," James said with a weak smile, "I forget how recently I myself did not know. Lily knows a charm that will preserve a secret inside a living soul. No one would be able to find out that fact, no matter how hard they tried, unless the Secret-Keeper told someone. Once the secret has been told, the fact can be found out by anyone."  
  
Sirius nodded again. "So I'll keep the secret of where you guys and Harry are? I'll have to go into hiding, too, to keep from being found." He trailed off. "I knew you all were in some danger, but I had no idea it would go this far."  
  
James shook his head. "Neither did we, Padfoot. But we must act quickly now that it has. Can you meet us now?"  
  
James quickly explained where their hideout was and Sirius agreed to be there in a moment. As James prepared to close the line of communication, he noticed Padfoot turn his head quickly to look at something. Then, with a small pop, Padfoot's head disappeared from the fire and his entire body popped into the rundown shack. Without a word, he rushed to James and embraced him.  
  
"Well hello, Padfoot," James said with a laugh, trying not to show how touched he was. He did not want Sirius to see him cry, though tears were glistening in the eyes of both men.  
  
"Hello, Prongs," Sirius replied. He turned to Lily and embraced her as well. Ruffling Harry's already messy black hair, as James himself was apt to do, a determined look appeared on his face.  
  
"You know I would do anything for the three of you," Sirius began. "And I would be honored to be your Secret-Keeper, but that may not be the safest course of action."  
  
James interrupted, starting to become cross. "Sirius, we have made our decision. We trust you more than anyone else."  
  
Bowing his head, Sirius replied, "I am honored by that James, but don't you see that everyone knows that?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Lily asked, sounding a bit confused.  
  
"I mean everyone will know that it is me who holds your secret. I think it would be better if you picked someone else who you trust just as much. That way they will be safe from Voldemort as well," Sirius explained, licking his parched lips, as was his habit when he was nervous. It reminded James of a time when they were ten and were trying to explain to Sirius' parents what had happened to their rose garden.  
  
But James shook himself from the memory and started to protest again, only Lily interrupted. "James, he has a point. Stop and think about it for a moment."  
  
He didn't want to concede this point, but he stopped arguing and started pacing. Soon he called Lily over, knowing he couldn't make this kind of decision without her guidance and input. She rushed to join him.  
  
"I understand Sirius' point, Lil. What do you think we should do?" He asked, staring into her deep green eyes.  
  
"I think we should ask Peter or Remus. That way they will safely carry our secret while Sirius willingly assumes the risk involved," Lily said without hesitation. This was enough to fully convince James that Padfoot's plan was best.  
  
"Remus is so caught up in his engagement, we can't ask him to go into hiding. But Peter is perfect. We can trust him completely, but he won't be the obvious choice," James stated decisively. He felt confident that this would keep his family completely safe. Lily nodded in agreement and James motioned Sirius, who was cooing at baby Harry, over to them.  
  
"Will you take my advice?" Padfoot asked eagerly.  
  
Nodding in perfect unison, James and Lily spoke at the same time. "Yes, we will-" Lily laughed, which was a beautiful sound, and said, "Go ahead, darling," and pushed the unruly black hair out of his eyes.  
  
"We have decided to ask Peter to be our Secret-Keeper," James said seriously. "Will you go and ask him if he will do it? If he doesn't fancy the job, we will depend on you."  
  
"Of course, Prongs, old friend," Sirius replied, trying to look cheerful. "That is an excellent decision, I must say. Shall I have him meet you here?"  
  
Lily nodded. "Yes, as soon as possible. I've already sent him a letter, telling him we were going into hiding, I didn't expect to contact him again."  
  
"I'll explain it all," Sirius replied. "But he'll need a bit of time to get his things in order, if he's going into hiding."  
  
"Twenty-four hours," James said, with an unmistakable air of finality. He wanted this Secret-Keeper business to be over as soon as possible to get Lily and Harry the safety that it promised them.  
  
"I'll go at once then," Sirius said. "I don't suppose I'll see you three again until this is all over, so I guess this is 'au revior' for awhile." He quickly gave Lily and James hugs (James knew all his dear friend Padfoot was trying to say) and kissed Harry's smooth forehead. He disappeared with a tiny pop.  
  
James felt a bit deflated after Padfoot was gone, but he was more worried about Lily, who sank to the ground looking as if a ton of weight had been added to her shoulders. James immediately sat down next to her, wedging Harry between them.  
  
"We'll be fine," he said reassuringly, placing his muscular arm around her shoulders. "We've got the best friends in the world out there helping to keep us safe, and we-all three of us- have each other to help keep us sane."  
  
Lily nodded. "You're right. What do we have to worry about?" James felt relief, knowing that she was not going to buckle under the pressure that had been placed on her.  
  
A few hours later, he felt even more relieved as Sirius' owl arrived with the news that Peter would meet them the next day to become their Secret- Keeper. That changed a bit, however, as night fell and Harry refused to go to bed in the strange shack. It was only when he had cried himself into exhaustion that James and Lily could be together with their thoughts.  
  
James and Lily lay on their thin, ragged blankets, James tightening his arms around his young wife.  
  
"Do you remember when I asked you out for the first time?" James asked softly in Lily's ear.  
  
Smiling, she replied, "How could I forget? You were so nervous you couldn't string two words together! I was about to take you to see Madam Pomfrey when I finally understood what was going on."  
  
James laughed. "I thought that being the quidditch captain had given me the confidence I needed. It had with other girls.but I knew that you were different."  
  
He paused, recollecting the moment when he realized Lily was no school boy crush. He felt Lily snuggle closer, so he continued.  
  
"By graduation, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." he trailed off. Inside him, anger towards himself was bubbling. He was the reason Lily had to go through this. "But I never saw this coming. I hate to have put you through this, Lily," his voice filling with the passion that was burning inside. "If you had married Arnie Peasgood, you wouldn't be involved in all of this ridiculous Heir stuff!"  
  
Placing her cool hand on James' reddening face, Lily calmly replied, "I don't love Arnie Peasgood, I love you, James Potter. And I would rather be here, with you and Harry, than somewhere safe with anyone else."  
  
Kissing her lips lightly, James smiled, feeling better. "If you're sure."  
  
When she didn't reply, James looked down to see that she had fallen asleep with a smile upon her lips. Grinning, James kissed her forehead, and let himself drift off to sleep as well.  
  
James had trouble remembering a day that was worse than the one that followed. His anxiety was building as he waited for Peter to arrive. This was not helped by the fact that Harry would not settle down while Lily was trying to study up on the Fidelius Charm that would save their lives. Not even his stuffed niffler helped the situation and several times Lily had to come over and calm him before going back to her reading.  
  
When Peter arrived with a loud pop, Lily was rocking little Harry back and forth, cooing, "In a few hours, my darling, we will be back in Godric's Hollow, safe and sound," while James pulled back from the window where he had been checking for outside activity.  
  
James strode quickly over to welcome Peter, very relieved to see him. Lily, who thrust the suddenly calm and curious Harry into James' arms, followed him.  
  
"Are you ready, Peter?" Lily asked gently. James couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in Peter's hands as he laid Harry down to sleep in the corner.  
  
Peter nodded, looking her in the face.  
  
"I can't tell you how grateful James and I are that you would do this for us," she continued, giving Peter a hug.  
  
James shook Peter's hand, not knowing how to properly thank Peter for what he was about to do. "Thank you, for giving up your normal life for us, and for Harry."  
  
Peter nodded, casting a glance to Harry's sleeping form lying only a few feet away. James gazed at his son as well, grateful that he would soon be safe from harm.  
  
"You're quite welcome, you know," Peter said briskly. "Anything for the two of you. Shall we get on with it?"  
  
Lily smiled. "Yes, we mustn't waste time." She briefly explained to Peter how the extremely advanced charm worked by hiding the secret in Peter's soul, and that once she had performed the spell, the Potters would be impossible for anyone to find unless he chose to divulge the information. Then it would be possible for anyone to track them down. Peter nodded a bit nervously.  
  
"Now just stand perfectly still while I perform the spell, Peter," Lily said gently.  
  
James stood behind Peter, watching closely, when Lily beckoned for him to back away. He shuffled backward a few steps and watched as she raised her wand, muttered the spell, and cast it with a blinding flash of white light that caused James to wince and cover his eyes.  
  
"It worked," Lily said, sounding proud, as Peter warily opened his eyes. "We'll be safe now."  
  
James picked up the sleeping Harry, feeling properly safe for the first time in too long, took Lily's hand, and said, "We'll be off now, Wormtail. You had better get to your hideout, too. Stay safe, my friend." James nodded to his friend, hoping to convey his thoughts, then the entire family Apparated away.  
  
At the sight of his familiar surroundings, baby Harry squealed with glee and squirmed out of his father's grasp. James took his wife's hand as they watched Harry play with his favorite toys. He was confident that they were safe now, and that Dumbledore and the Ministry would soon bring Voldemort to justice.  
  
Preparations for Halloween quickly consumed the Potter residence. There wasn't really much they could do to help their situation, so Lily and James had decided to try to keep things as normal as possible for Harry. This, of course, meant celebrating Halloween in the usual wizard way. James decorated the inside of the house with bats and floating jack o' lanterns while Lily planned a huge feast. Harry seemed to catch on that something exciting was going to happen, for he grew more anxious every day that passed.  
  
The family hadn't been sitting down to dinner very long that Halloween evening when James suddenly felt very exposed. He looked to Lily, who looked as shocked and confused as he felt. Then came a large noise out in their front yard. Without a word, James left the table to see what was going on and drew his wand.  
  
James looked out the window and what he saw made his blood run cold. The dark cloaked figure approaching their door could only be one person- Lord Voldemort. James yelled, "Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"  
  
James stumbled into the front room; terrified, but determined to hold Voldemort off long enough to let Harry and Lily escape. His wand was at the ready when the front door was burst open. He stood straight-backed, facing a laughing Voldemort, but was too slow with his Disarming Spell. He saw Voldemort's lips move, but did not hear "Avada Kedavra" before he hit the floor. 


End file.
